1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a low-profile, non-kinking intravenous catheter device that includes a section of flexible yet supported intravenous tubing for conducting fluids into a patient's blood vessel or the like.
2. Background Information
Various types of intravenous (“IV”) catheters are well known in the medical field and are used throughout the world. Intravenous catheters are used for a wide variety of applications, including hydration and administration of intravenous fluids, medications, feeding, and transfusions. A typical intravenous system utilizes a needle for penetrating the skin and vein, and a catheter that remains in the patient's blood vessel for a time once the needle is removed. A catheter is a cylindrical tube made of a thin, stiff plastic-type material. The intravenous catheter slides over the needle into the vein once the needle has punctured the vein. The needle is then removed, leaving the intravenous catheter in place in the vein. There are a variety of needle safety systems in use by various catheter manufacturers, which automatically cover the sharp tip of the needle as it is removed from the catheter and discarded. The intravenous catheter is then connected to medical tubing via a screw-type or other type of tubing connector. A saline solution is then normally used to flush the catheter and test for proper placement of the intravenous catheter in the blood vessel.
Once placement in the patient's blood vessel has been confirmed, the intravenous catheter is secured to the patient's skin with adhesive tape until it is time to remove the IV, until the IV is accidentally dislodged or damaged, or until the vein blows. The latter term (“blows”) is a common term for extravasation of the intravenous fluids and/or blood into the space outside of the vein, i.e., when the seal between the vein and the catheter becomes leaky and fluid being administered thorough the catheter goes partly into the vein and partly under the skin. Unfortunately, this happens frequently because of the fact that the veins that are most accessible to health care professionals are the ones in the patient's hand, wrist, and inner elbow (antecubital fossa), where there is much movement. The catheter of a conventional IV system is prone to being inadvertently bumped, snagged, and hit on objects because of the way the regular tubing that leads to the medical fluid source is commonly looped. This is especially true pre- and post-surgery, when patients often must be moved, and when the administration of anesthetic drugs via intravenous catheters can be critical. Loss of IV access can pose very serious problems if it occurs at the wrong time or with the wrong medication, for example.
Some external devices have been invented over the years that, for example, clasp over or are strapped to an intravenous catheter, but the above-described problems associated with the use of intravenous catheters persist. Various other catheter-related patents and publications relate to, for example: an instrument and method for delivery of anesthetic drugs; a catheter with a high tensile strength braid wire constraint; a manipulative delivery catheter for occlusive devices; an electrode-carrying catheter; medical tubing; and a multilayered polymeric tubing with braided layer; and methods of making and using them and a process of making a catheter. The intravenous catheter device of the present invention with its section of flexible yet supported intravenous tubing is bendable into a low-profile conformation so that the present intravenous catheter device is less likely to kink or be dislodged from the patient's vessel.